This invention pertains to a method and apparatus employed in the gathering, for observation purposes, of desired-category anatomical audio signal information effectively gathered from a specific, selected anatomical region, or site. In particular, it relates to such a method and apparatus which are capable of determining and selecting, from the mentioned selected anatomical site, and during a particular time interval, the highest-quality available audio signal, which signal may then be studied/reviewed in relation to selected anatomical electrical signals which are also present generally at the same site during the same time interval.
For the purpose of illustration herein, a preferred embodiment of, and manner of practicing, the present invention are described in the setting of collecting heart-produced audio signals from the traditional V4 ECG lead site on the anatomy for study along with ECG electrical signals collected essentially from the same site (as well as from other traditional ECG sites, if desired).
From a methodologic point of view, a preferred implementation of the present invention involves (a) the placement of a pair of audio sensors, or transducers, in close proximity to a selected anatomical site, such as the mentioned V4 lead site, (b) the gathering of simultaneously acquirable audio signals from those two sensors, (c) the competitive processing of such two signals in order to evaluate the higher-quality one of them in accordance with certain quality-selection parameters which are described below, and then (d) the selection and declaration of that higher-quality signal to be the chosen, desired-category audio output signal that may be reviewed along with a time-contemporaneous ECG signal derived also essentially directly from the V4 site.
As will be briefly mentioned below, one of the audio sensors, or transducers, or if desired, both such employed sensors, may be constructed in the form of a combined audio and electrical anatomical signal sensor of the type described in a currently co-pending U.S. patent application covering an invention entitled “Method and Apparatus for Detecting and Transmitting Electrical and Related Audio Signals From a Single, Common Anatomical Site, Ser. No. 10/389,402, filed Mar. 14, 2003. Reference is made to this currently co-pending patent application simply to provide background information relative to one manner of collecting an anatomical audio signal. Practice and utility of the present invention does not in any way depend upon specific features or behavioral capabilities of this representative structure.
The various features and advantages which are attained by the present invention will become more fully apparent as the description thereof which now follows is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.